Seven Adivasis, including three women, brutally attacked in South Gujarat: Protests planned on Foundation Day, May 1

Vanmali Rathod in ICU in Bardoli hospital following the attack

By Our RepresentativeIn a gruesome incident, seven Adivasis, including three women, of Manekpur village of Bardoli taluka of South Gujarat were brutally attacked on Tuesday. All of them are members of the Adavasi Kisan Sangharsh Morcha (AKSM), which has been fast expanding its wings among the Adivasis of South Gujarat districts.

The attack, says AKSM, is part of the ruling BJP's effort to cow down the Adivasis of the area, as they have decided to hold parallel protests against Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel. Patel will to bein the Adivasi town of Vyara for Gujarat foundation day function on May 1. An FIR has been filed against the alleged culprits, most of whom are allegedly BJP supporters.Claiming that Bardoli BJP MLA Jitu Vasia is the "mastermind" of the attack on the AKSM workers, the organization's leader Romel Sutariya said, the attack took place late on Monday night after the supporters of the MLA broke into Adivasi houses and attacked seven of them -- Vanmalibhai Rathod, Rameshbhai Rathod, Natubhai Rathod, Keralbhai Rathod, Ushaben Rathod, Bhanuben Rathod, and Sumitraben Rathod."On learning that they have been attacked, AKSM workers immediately rushed to the spot and shifted them to Bardoli Sardar Smarak Hospital", Sutariya said, adding, "While all of them have been admitted in the hospital, Vanmalibhai Rathod is in the intensive care unit. I have personally talked with the district superintendent of police (SP) to take immediate action. I have been assured that the culprits will not be set free."

The poster which attacked police action against Sutariya, others

Earlier last week, several of AKSM's workers, including Sutariya, were were detained in Ahmedabad for a day after they tried to protest against the Gujarat government for failing to pay Rs 17 crore dues to Adivasi farmers who had sold their sugarcane to the sugar mills in South Gujarat. The police said, the AKSM protest took place the fact that the organization was "refused" permission to protest.The arrests also happened as the AKSM put up posters in Ahmedabad which said the Gujarat chief minister was "missing", even as alleging failure of the state government to act to up sugarcane dues. Sutariya in a statement later described the day-long detention as "violation of the democratic rights, as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution." The "missing" posters were also put up in Vyara, where May 1 functions have been proposed.In his statement, Sutariya has denied the allegation that the AKSM is wedded to the Maoist ideology, saying, "I have been frequently asked by the police why did I visit Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. This is a strange question. I will go to every place where the oppressed are struggling for their rights."He clarified, "However, we wish to clarify, we are wedded to continue our struggle through non-violent means, and there no question of adopting extra-constitutional method. We are proud that the Gujarat Foundation day ceremoney is taking place on May 1 in South Gujarat, but we have a democratic right to protest as well. We have decided to launch door-to-door campaign to protest against state government failures."

Comments

TRENDING

By Shamsul Islam*RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

By Our Representative
Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book, "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Counterview Desk Demanding that the Uttar Pradesh government immediately release well-known paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan, a group of more than 100 academicians, activists, researchers, doctors and lawyers have said in an open letter that he is being “targeted at the behest of the chief minister”, wondering, “When is an act of challenging the government a threat under the National Security Act (NSA)?”

By Rajiv Shah
Was the Government of India serious when it asked 92,000 civil society organizations (CSOs) in early April to “assist” state governments and district administrations in taking care of food, shelter and other needs of migrant workers, known to have been affected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ sudden 21-day lockdown in order to “combat” the spread of Covid-19 virus, announced on March 24?

By Rajiv Shah
A top American doctor, Sapan Sharankishor Desai, born and raised in the “affluent” North Shore (Chicago) region of Illinois by Indian parents, at one point of time involved in NGO activity through the Desai Foundation dedicated to “improving” the lives of the impoverished in Gujarat, is in the eyes of a major international storm following his paper in a “Lancet” questioning Donald Trump-promoted drug hydroxychloroquine.

By Asmita Verma, Surabhi Agarwal, Bobby Ramakant*
The Epidemics Act, 1897 gives the central and state governments authority to impose any regulations which may be necessary to contain the outbreak of a disease. Some state governments such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh have already used this power to bring private healthcare facilities in their state under government control.

Counterview Desk
Well-known human rights activist Martin Macwan, recipient of the prestigious Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2000, has drafted an open letter to US President Donald Trump following the disturbing turn of events with the murder of George Floyd, leading to widespread protests in the US. He has sought signatures of concerned citizens before sending it to Trump.

By Shamsul Islam*
In a shocking development, the student wing of the RSS put the busts of martyrs Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose with Savarkar's on one pedestal at the University of Delhi late in the night on August 20, 2019. Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life for a socialist-democratic-secular republic and Netaji raised Azad Hind Fauj (INA) consisting of people of all religions and regions for armed liberation of India.

By Our Representative
Taking strong exception to the police action against protesting migrant workers off the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on May 18, senior Gujarat High Court advocate Anandvardhan Yagnik, in a legal notice to the IIM-A director "on their behalf" has said that the workers had only been seeking to to go back to their home states, Jharkhand and West Bengal, for the last more than 20 days because they were not paid their “earned wages because of the lockdown.”

RECENT POSTS

TRUE LIES

This is the blogging column of Rajiv Shah, editor, Counterview. A little weird, a little satirical, it is called True Lies, the same name which was chosen for his blogging column in the Times of India (TOI). Rajiv's TOI blogs can be accessed here.